There's only so much marketing potential you can draw from simply meeting and greeting people in your community. Going to small, local events such as picnics and fundraisers is nice, but it has limited value. Chances are, you're only meeting people that you already know anyway, and you're probably not doing a great deal to further your business in the grand scheme of things.

Trade shows are a little different. Typically these days, people attend industry events from all over the place, as they're eager to make key business connections with others in their field. This is a growing trend and one that could have a dramatic impact on the future of your organisation.

If you play your cards right at your next trade show, you could have a major opportunity to discover untapped marketing value.

Attendees are coming from all over

It wasn't long ago that event-based marketing was seen as more of a local pursuit. You might have designed trade show exhibits and taken them on the road, but you didn't take them far – your greatest aspiration was to network with people in your city and the surrounding areas and spark a few connections. It was a modest goal.

Now, times are different. In fact, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research recently estimated that 78 percent of people worldwide who attend trade shows today are travelling more than 650 kilometres to do so. That travel requires time and money, but today's executives have decided it's worth it.

With this in mind, it might be time for your trade show marketing strategy to change. It's important to know that your audience is broader at shows than it's ever been – it's national, perhaps even international. This requires an entirely new approach.

You're speaking to a wide audience

Getting a marketing activation initiative off the ground is always challenging. You've got to take a new product or idea and build its popularity from nothing. It's even tougher with a wide audience, though. On a local level, you understand the community and the pain points it is facing; nationally, you have to speak in broader terms.

To this end, it makes sense to come up with solutions to big problems that professionals are facing nationwide. Don't get too granular with your marketing message – deliver broad interpretations of your brand that anyone can get value from.

You're speaking to a wide audience of people.

You may need your entire team to have hands on deck for this. Your marketing people can help attract traffic to your trade show booth, yes, but you'll also need sales reps to help make deals and customer service experts to address people's problems.

Of course, you'll also need graphics to engage your audience and hold their interest.

Graphics can increase your appeal

Marketing to a wide trade show audience requires hard work from a lot of talented people. There's no doubt that designers are included in that. If you want to win people over at shows, the first step is to get them on the hook with engaging exhibition stands. You want the colours, images and overall look and feel of your display to be just perfect.

At Exposure Group, we specialise in making that happen. We have a team of experienced graphic design professionals at Exposure with over 20 years of experience in wide-format, offset, flatbed and screen printing. We are committed to providing high-quality designs with beautiful graphics. Turn to us for your next trade show marketing project, and you won't be disappointed.